Combination lock-key.



A. MUSCARELLA.

COMBINATION LOCK KEY.

APPLlCATlOH fiLED APR. 9. 1915.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

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' aN'r'oNIo ranscABnLLA, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINATION LOCK-KEY.

Application filed April 9, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTONIO MUsoAnnLLA, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Lock-Keys, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in keys for looks and particularly to improvements in permutation or combination lock keys; that is, a lock-key which can be engaged with the lock only after the combination of the key has been solved.

An object of this invention is to provide a lockkey of the class just referred to which will be simple in construction, comparatively cheap in manufacture, efficient in operation and use and susceptible of being readily adjusted for use with locks requir in keys of diil'erent lengths.

The invention hereinafter described constitutes an improvement on the lock-key shown and described in my pending application Serial No. 866,745, filed October 15, 1914.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of this invention and the bestmodenow known to me of applying that principle, Figure l is a centralvertical section of my new combination lock-key; Fig. 2 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow B of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line A-A of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail showing the knob-spindle, the key proper dctachably secured thereto and the sleeve mounted on the spindle; Fig. 5 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow C of Fig. 4, the lceydproper being removed; Figs. 6 and 7 are a si e view and a plan, respectively, of the ring-support; Fig. 8 is an elevation of the ring separator; and Fi 9 is a detail showing in eleration an indicator-ring and a stop-ring mounted therein.

The base-member a is cup-shaped and is inserted in a recess 1) formed in the door 0. This base-member a is formed with an annular fiange d from which projects forwardly a circular series of pins 6; and near these pins e there are inscribed a series of numbers (such as the digits) and a series of letters (such as A, B, and so on). In a recess 5' formed in the side of the door 0 opposite the base-member a, there is mounted the lock proper f, which may be of any suitable type Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Serial No. 20,113.

and which is provided with the bolt 9. By means of screws 72. the lock proper f is fastend to the back or bottom 71 of the cupshaped base-member a. This bottom 71 is formed with a rectangular recess or depression 7' and with a circular hole is near the center of the latter. In this depression there is fitted the rectangular base 121/ of a ringsupport m having a hollow cylinder or barrel m that projects from the base 721/. This barrel-m" is formed with a lengthwise-extending slot m" and the base m is formed with a recess or notch in line with this slot m". By means of screws a the base m is fastened to the base-member a. From the cylindrical surface of the barrel m there project teeth or lugs 0. The barrel m of the ring-support m is adapted to receive the slotted cylindrical portion or barrel ;0 of a ring-separator q; and from one of the walls r of the slot 7 in the barrel 7; there project teeth 1' which fit into the notches n formed in one of the walls of the slot m" in the ring-support m. The ring-separator g is formed with an annular head or flange 9' that bears against the outer end of the barrel m" of the ring-support m.

Each indicatorring 8 is internally notched, as shown at s; and each notch s is adapted to receive and hold snugly a lug or tooth t'zprojecting from the stop-ring 1", which is formed with a recess 15. These rings t are mounted upon the ring-support m and normally are held apart or separated by the lugs 0 formed on the latter and by the lugs or teeth 1 which project from the barrel 7) of the ring-separator 9. To each of the indicator-rings 3 there is fastened a cylinder u which conceals and shields the outer cylindrical surface of the indicator-ring s, and each of these rings u is provided with a tongue or lip u by means of which the indicator-rings s (and the stop-rings t) may be turned. The barrel 7; of the ring separator q forms a bearing for the sleeve member c which is formed with a series of teeth o and through which passes the spindle in the outer end of which is formed with a knob ."c and the inner end of which is formed with a slot 3 adapted to receive the butt end of the key proper 2 having a bit 2. The slot y extends axially from end to end of the spindle w and is sha ed so that it is adapted to receive either a tey proper having a rectangular cross-section or one having a circular cross-section (Figs. 3 and The shank of the key proper e'i s held in place detachably in the slot 3/ by means of a set-screw 2. The "user may'readily cut a mark in the side of the key z.. .to indi cute to what oint the latter must be inserted in the s ot 3/ in order that the bit '5" may engage roperly the bolt 9 of the lock proper f. T ierefore, the key vma Y be used with various thicknesses of doors a by simply loosening the set-screw 2' and adjusting the key proper z in or out of the slot y-and, after making the adj ustment,- simply tight ening the set-screw 2' again. The-sleeve 0 lies between a collar w formed on the spindle 1c and a-washer '10 mounted on the latter; the washer w" is held in place by a pin w". The teeth or lugs'v lie in a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve :0; and these teeth 1) are adapted to enter the slot 1" in the barrel p of the ringseparator-g. Normally the-stop-rin s it prevent the spindle w and its attached key proper 2 from being forced inwardly-into engagement with the lock proper but, when the combination of the'lock-key has been solved and=the stop-rings-t have been turned to their releasing position, the recesses or notches t are in alinementwith one another and with the teeth '1) on'the sleeves; hence, in this position of the-stoprings t, the spindle w and itsmttaehed-key pro )er 2 may be forced inwardly, whereby the 8} 2 is engaged with the lock f.

The: operation of the mechanism hereinbefore described will now be readily understood and may be set forth asfollou's: Assuming that the combination is BA 8, one of the cars 14" is brought into register with the number 2 on the'face of the flange of (Fig. 2), another of the ears u is brought into register with the. letter A and the third of these earsis brought into re ister with the -number8. By thus-setting tie cars it, the .ringsuorncylinders u, the indicator-rings s and the stop-rings t are turned and the slots 15' in the latter are brought into alinement so that the teeth '0' can without hindrance :be pushedi therethrough. Hence, the operator now seizes the knob m and presses inwardly the sleeved) and the spindle w and thereby forces the key 2 into the-lock proper f,-\rhich-is shown merely conventionally in the drawingsand may be of any ordinary construction. By turning the knob m the bit z" of the key 2 is made to actuate the mechanism (not shown) of the lock f and thereby to -w-ithdraw the bolt 9 thereof, as will be understood readily by all skilled-in this 'art.

'I claim:

JInzacomhination lock-key, a key proper; a spindle formed-with a bore shaped to receive tie same and to permit the key proper-t0 be adjusted in the bore ;Lmeans' forholding the key'proper in its adjusted osition; a lock proper; and permutation evices'for preventing the-engagement of thekey proper with'the lock proper; the adjustability of said' key'proper in its =bore making the key proper susceptible of else with doors of different thicknesses.

'Signed at the borough of Manhattan, city, county and 'State of New "York, 1 this 7th day-of April, A. D.,1915, inthe presence of'the two undersigned witnesses.

ANTONIO MUSCARELL'A.

Witnesses MIorIanL A. =Vmio1, PamirP J. 'TERMINI.

Copies of thin patent may be obtained for flvwoontl each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. O." 

